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House committee hears bill to post notice of students27 and employees27 religious-expression rights in schools
Summary
Rep. John Black told the committee House Bill 1262 would require public schools to publish a brief notice informing students and employees of their constitutional rights to religious expression and to reference existing Missouri law that prohibits discrimination based on religious viewpoint.
Rep. John Black (House District 129) told the House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education that House Bill 1262, titled the Missouri Religious Liberty in Schools Awareness Act, would require public school districts to post a short notice advising students and employees of their constitutional rights to religious expression and the existing state statute that protects religious viewpoint.
"The key word in that definition is awareness," Black said during his presentation, describing the measure as an informational notice rather than a change in substantive rights. He said the bill incorporates existing language from Missouri statute Section 160.2500 and cites recent U.S. Supreme Court precedent, including Kennedy v. Bremerton.
Why it matters: the bill aims to make students and staff aware of rights already recognized in law, Black and supporters said. Supporters argued that…
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